Who's The Halloween Slasher?
by UZUDAE
Summary: What's up at Smash Mansion. Everyone's getting ready for the Halloween Masquerade, but then a crazy party crasher shows up. A crazy party crasher with a little too much halloween spirit, a creepy costume, and knitting needles.
1. Chapter 1

Who's The Halloween Slasher?

Nite 001: A Black Phantom, Bathed In The Moonlight

"He went that way, I'm sure of it!" Link exclaimed, pointing up at the stone shingles on the roof to their left. Almost as if to confirm the blondes assumption the fighters heard the sound of swift footsteps against the clay and watched as broken shingles rained down into the courtyard from the roof. As the clouds briefly parted the group got a look at their prey, bathed in the pale orange light of the harvest moon.

The figure was tall and slender, cloaked in a slim black coat that reached to their ankles. The sash of the coat, the wrist cuffs, and the lapels themselves all appeared to be made out of yellow caution tape. The most distinctive feature of the phantom however was the yellow mask that adorned its head. The face was nothing more than two small black crescents that pointed downwards for eyes, and a large crescent that pointed upwards to form a horrible grin.

Pausing only briefly on its rooftop perch, the figure peered down at the courtyard and into the fog that completely enveloped its three pursuers- Ike, Link, and Roy. The ominous shade stood for a moment, almost as if merely to taunt the warriors hunting it. Then the figure simply disappeared into the shadows of the rooftop, its footsteps echoing in the brisk night.

"Shit, he was right! Link, get up on that roof and see if you can find him. Me and Roy will split up and search all of the east wing, the intruder can't just stay on the roof forever. Eventually they'll have to go inside." Nodding his head in acknowledgement, the Hylian jumped and nimbly scaled one of the many plants hanging on the walls of the courtyard. In mere seconds the blond was running across the clay shingles of the roof at a blistering pace, his acute Hylian sense directing him.

"So what exactly are we looking for Ike, what makes you think that he's gonna head inside? Couldn't he leave the grounds?" Roy asked the large bluenette in between breaths.

"He could but.. I don't know. I mean three nights in a row? Who could sneak past all of us three nights in a row? How could they have possibly gotten into the mansion without anybody noticing?" Ike asked the redhead, his breathing still steady. After all his years of training and war, a little midnight stroll wasn't about to tire him out.

"So then you're thinking… wait do you think that somebody staying at the mansion is The Halloween Slasher!?!" The redhead gasped as the whipped around the corner leading out of the courtyard and into the Parlor.

"Bingo!" The mercenary said, pausing his sprint only to open the glass pane door in front of them.

"So then…ah, that's why we're going to the east wing!" Roy exclaimed, finally seeing what the plan was.

"Exactly, all of the guest rooms are in the east wing! So we head down there, and see who's up getting a midnight snack!" The bluenette declared smugly. Just as they rounded anther corner, leading to one of the many small kitchens in the mansion, the bluenette careened into a pile of orange pumpkins. His foot piercing into the top of one of the orange vegetables and becoming lodged in the hole he felt himself immediately lose his center of balance. The large bluenette flailed around helplessly for a moment before collapsing into the pile of pumpkins and being buried alive.

The pile itself had been left in the kitchen by Marth and Pit, who had been officially designated Mansions Jack O' Lantern producers. The lanterns naturally being for the upcoming Halloween Masquerade.

"God damn it! Help! Get me out of here Roy!" The bluenette yelled, trying to pry himself from the ocean of orange he was trapped in. The redhead paused for a moment to think.

"Sorry Ike, no time to waste!" The boy called as he darted through the kitchen towards the door to the hallway. The bluenette was not only pissed but in absolute awe at Roy's stupidity.

"You son of a bitch!" The bluenette called now futilely punching and kicking at the pumpkins weighing him down.

"Sorry Ike, but you fall behind you get left behind!"

"Stop! I said stop damn it!" Link called after the intruder, running at break neck speeds. Following this stranger hadn't been easy, far from it. Link was incredibly agile and, due to his Hylian blood, had superhuman night vision and hearing. But he could barely hear this person, and they must have better vision then him to be running so effortlessly in this fog.

Losing his patience and sensing his prey was on the verge of escaping, the blonde drew his bow and balanced an arrow on the rigid string. Pulling the bow taught he took aim, no small feat in the fog and darkness of the night. He released his grip on the bowstring. A light arrow went streaking through the air, illuminating all of the rooftop. The black figure turned just as the arrow was three meters behind its head. Grabbing the mask from its face it hurled the wooden veil towards the arrow like a Frisbee.

Both the mask and the arrow exploded into a ball of light right in front of the silhouette. Through the blinding light Link tried to make out the features of the phantom's now exposed face, but could see nothing more than a dark outline. He saw the black mass suddenly jerk towards the edge of the roof, before the blonde could register what was happening it had disappeared entirely.

Taking a step forward to resume the chase the Hylian felt the stone shingles on the roof give way and crumble. Immediately the warrior was on his back and sliding towards the edge of the roof. Frantically he groped and clawed at anything that he flew by. He could feel shingles disintegrating in his hands and his velocity increasing at an alarming rate.

"Fuck!!!" Link screamed as he was hurled off of the edge of the roof. Three stories later the blonde landed in one of the walls of the hedge maze in the center of the mansions courtyard.

"Ike, whereya go?" Pit slurred, groggily looking his lovers side of the bed up and down. The copper headed boy was an incredibly heavy sleeper, and was usually a zombie for at least half an hour after he woke up. Trying to get out of bed, the angel stood up too fast. Feeling the blood rush to his head the cherub stumbled into the closet, dizzy and still disoriented.

"Sum bitch! Why this…what? I gotta…I'm gonna go pee, or sumthin'." The angel slowly picked himself up and, swaying somewhat, walked himself to the door of the bedroom.

Walking down the mansions expansive tiled hallways wearing nothing but one of Ike's massive dress shirts, the angel tried to cut through the fog clouding his judgment and remember where the bathrooms were. In the haze of his sleepiness however the brunette had forgotten that his and Ike's room had a bathroom. Turning the corner, his bare feet thudding softly on the cool stone, Pit stared in awe at the black clad figure staring at _him _from the opposite end of the hallway.

"Scuse' me kind gentleman, but could you tell me where the pee closets are?" The cherub asked the Halloween Slasher, who slowly made his way down the hall towards Pit.

The silent figure now stood less than a foot away from the angel, the darkness of the hallway casting shadows across its face. Pit stared up at the figure who was almost twice as tall as him. Reaching out one of its yellow gloved hands, the shade ran its fingers through the boys soft, satiny hair.

"Hey! Get away from Pit!' Ike yelled, from the end of the hall. His sword already out of its sheath and by his side, the mercenary raised it and pointed to the Halloween Slasher. The black clad phantom put its hands up in mock surrender and slowly backed away from Ike's lover. Lowering his sword slightly the mercenary walked briskly towards the intruder.

"Hey Ike, where'd ya go? I woke up, and you were gone. Bam! Gone! Were you goin' bathroom too?" The small boy asked, yawing and clearly unaware of the gravity of the situation.

"Alright, this ends now. Who are you and what are you doing sneaking around the mansion every night?" The swordsman barked. Staring at Ike silently, the figure moved to the window. Standing and staring out at the engorged orange moon in the sky, the Slasher ran its hand across the cold pane of glass.

"Answer me damn you!" The bluenette growled, fed up with the freaks stupid games.

"Well I'm gonna go pee now guys. You two play nice, Kay?" The small cherub said, opening the door to the girls restroom and walking inside. Having run out of patience, Ike slowly approached the black phantom to get a better look at its face. Now within about ten feet of the shadow. Ike stared at the things face which was almost illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the window.

"Samus I am soooo sorry!!!" Roy screamed, bursting through the door next to Ike, and plowing the two of them into the stone wall.

Lying stunned on the ground, Ike was immediately brought back to reality by the sound of breaking glass. Looking up to where the Halloween slasher had once stood, he saw nothing but a shattered window and shards of glass on the floor.

"Roy! You stupid bastard!"

"Ike what are you doing here!? Weren't you spooning with some pumpkins or something?"

"What am I doing here!?! What are you doing here!? I almost had the guy you stupid, stupid idiot!" Ike fumed, grabbing the redhead by the collar and vigorously shaking him. Trying to form a coherent sentence, Roy managed to choke out an explanation. Apparently the redhead had taken it upon himself to invade the privacy of every brawler in the mansion by individually inspecting their rooms.

Just as the redhead was wrapping up his explanation Samus burst out of her room wearing nothing but a pair of black panties and a black tank top. Ike turned from the redhead and looked up at the striking blonde who was towering over the two. Roy was white as a sheet and thought he might pass out. As for Ike on the other hand, the whole world had disappeared, save for Samus' 'assets' which her top perfectly advertised.

"Roy! What were you doing in my room!? It's the middle of the night, are you fucking serious!?!" Samus fumed at the redhead. Looking down, she became aware of her secret admirer, Ike, who was heavily preoccupied with her chest.

"Ike, sweetie, please look at something other than my boobs." Samus said to the bluenette. Immediately the mercenaries eyes snapped up to look her in the eyes.

"Hey, are we having a bathroom party or what?" Pit asked, the heavy oak door of the woman's bathroom closing softly behind him.

Next time on our show-

. Who is the Halloween Slasher?

. How much property damage did the gang cause in their midnight hunt?*

. Will they catch the culprit with only four days left until Halloween?

. And what do pumpkins have to do with anything?*

*Quite a bit


	2. Chapter 2

Who's The Halloween Slasher?

Nite 002: What Lies Inside

Hiding in the darkness of the hedge maze, Solid Snake turned up the collar of his black coat and, removing his black ski mask, breathed in the cold autumn air. Gasping for breath, he wondered how he'd managed to shake his pursuers. One minute they had been chasing him through the courtyard, the next they were yelling something about somebody on the roof.

He was just relieved to have gotten away, looking back now, this all seemed rather ridiculous. Running around the mansion in the middle of the night, wearing a black coat and a ski mask. Worst of all was that if they ever found out _why _he was doing it they'd be on the floor, howling with laughter.

_I feel so, so stupid right now. This is a new low, even for you Snake. I knew I should have gone with the cardboard box instead of this stupid costume! This is just embarrassing. _

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of shouting from above.

"Fuck!!!" The Hylian screamed, tumbling through the air towards the ground. Just as the mercenary looked up to see what was falling from above he heard the sound of a massive impact against the bush he was sitting against. He could hear branches snapping and leaves rustling just inches away. Turning around Snake looked at the gaping hole in the wall of the hedge maze, Link plopped completely unconscious in the center of the gap.

"Oh Christ! Link, you okay buddy?" the brunette exclaimed, shaking the boy vigorously and trying to rouse him.

"Am I dead?" Link asked, absolutely petrified.

"No, you're good, the bush broke your fall."

"Okay, whew! Wow! I thought I was gonna die." Link sat bolt upright, almost colliding with Snake. Giving the mercenary a once over, the Hylian cocked his head to the side, a puzzled look on his face.

"What's with the… the uh, your clothes?" He looked at Snake's black gloved left hand. "What's with that ski mask you're holding?" Snake sighed and started to walk away. He'd gotten about ten feet when he turned and jogged back over to Link.

"Can you keep a secret, cause you're a good friend?" The mercenary asked, investing himself completely in Link.

"Of course you can Snake, I won't tell anybody. Cross my heart."

"Alright… I'm… I'm the Halloween Slasher." Snake declared, letting out the deep breath he'd been holding in. There was a long silence from the blonde as he mulled this over.

"Snake, I hate to break it to you" Link responded, standing and working the kinks out of his sore back. "but no you're not."

"What do you mean I'm not!? I garun-fucking-tee you that I am. I've been running all over the mansion the past two nights dressed in all black with a black mask on. Everyone's seen or heard me by now, trust me, I'm not just screwing with you."

"Snake, I was just chasing the Halloween Slasher! Why do you think I was on the roof? For shits and giggles!? Plus the Halloween Slasher's costume looks way cooler than your's does, you don't look like you even put any effort into that." Self consciously, Snake gave his outfit a concerned inspection.

"Well, it was just supposed to be so nobody could see me in the dark. I could have made it cooler if I…well, if I wanted to!" The man yelled childishly.

"No need to get defensive Snake, I was just saying! But then if you're the actual Halloween Slasher, who the hell was that guy?" Link questioned, glancing up at the now deserted rooftop.

"One thousand dollars in repairs to the damage done to the roof" Zelda hissed, grossing her legs and staring across her desk at the five morons who were the source of her woe- Link, Roy, Ike, Pit, and Snake.

"Well I don't think that's exactly fair, some of that damage was done by The-" Link tried to reply.

"Three hundred dollars to replace the window in the east wing." Zelda continued, ignoring the blonde.

"Okay, that was all-" Ike tried to chime in.

"Ninety five dollars to replace the pumpkins that were smashed." Zelda droned on.

"That was Ike! That was completely Ike's fault!" Roy cried, pointing at the bluenette.

"You asshole! If you had just helped me in the first place-"

"Two hundred dollars to have the damaged hedges in the garden excavated. Then an additional One hundred and fifty to have new hedges planted in their place." Zelda looked up from the damage report sitting in front of her and glared at the group.

"We were just doing what you asked us to do?" Link offered weakly.

"And also, Samus has filed a formal complaint against you Roy for sexual harassment." Zelda stated, remembering the minor detail just now.

"What a bitch!" The redhead exclaimed.

"Um, Zelda, I don't get why I'm here. I just got up to go to the bathroom, I didn't _do _anything last night." Pit murmured, squirming in his seat uncomfortably.

"And I was just taking a leisurely stroll." Snake added, trying his best to sound innocent.

"Save it Snake, I already know that you've been running around the mansion dressed as Freddy Kruger, or whoever the hell you're supposed to be." Zelda retorted calmly.

"Link! What the hell man!? I thought you were cool!" Snake fumed, turning to the blonde.

"I had to say something Snake! Do you know what she's like when she's angry? It's scary!"

"I second that." Roy agreed, raising his hand.

"Look you idiots, I asked you to form a night patrol and be on the lookout for anything suspicious. Not run around the mansion all night smashing things! And as for you Snake, I don't care why you've been running around the mansion at all hours of the night, but stop! Just stop, because while these idiot's were the one's who exacerbated things, _you _and _you_ alone are the real pain in my ass!

---

"Wow, you're right Link. Zellie _is _scary when she's mad!" Pit said, Ike rubbing his shoulders from behind to calm the cherub down.

"So, wait- Snake you're the Slasher!? Why? Why would you do that? Just for kicks? Cuz' if that's what it is, I'm totally onboard!" Roy asked, nudging the mercenary.

"No I did not do it 'for kicks', and yes I am the Halloween slasher. The outfit was sort of camouflage and a disguise. The actual reason that I was running around the mansion was…" The man paused, unsure of how to explain the stupidity of his circumstances to the group.

"I bought an engagement ring for Samus." He started.

"Oh my god! You're getting engaged Snake!?!" Pit yelped, smiling and hugging the significantly larger man's waist.

"You didn't know Pit? He told me like a month ago that he was planning on it." Link said, not phased in the slightest by the mans confession.

"Link he tells you everything, like any good boyfriend would." Roy teased.

"So anyways I bought Samus this ring, but then I didn't want her to find it, so I hid it. I put it inside of the Jack O' Lantern outside of me and Samus' room. But then Marth and Pit started rearranging the pumpkins to change up the decorations. Every day they swapped the pumpkins, so I didn't know which pumpkin the ring was in anymore."

"And you've been running around every night trying to check inside the pumpkins and find the right one!" Ike reasoned.

"You'd think somebody would have found it by accident by now, wouldn't you?" Roy mused.

"Not likely Roy, all the lantern's me and Marth have made are enchanted. There's no actual flame inside, so nobody would have a reason to open one. Also there are over a hundred Jack O' Lanterns all over the mansion, with more being made every day." Pit spoke up cheerfully, climbing up onto Ike's shoulders. Because of his height he found it difficult to get involved in the conversation otherwise.

"Well how about when they start rotting, will you check inside of them then?" Link asked.

"No, we'll probably just throw them out." Pit replied placidly.

"Throw them out!?! Do you know how much that ring cost me!?" Snake cried, outraged.

"Relax Snake, I'm sure that now they'll go through all of the pumpkins before they get chucked, Right Pit?" Ike replied to try and calm the fellow mercenary down.

"Well, actually Ike, me and Marth aren't exactly handling throwing out the pumpkins. Since there's so many, it's everybody in the mansions responsibility to throw out the pumpkins when they think they're starting to get too moldy."

"Then we gotta find that pumpkin!" Roy yelled. "Unless you wanna tell everybody in the mansion, including your soon to be fiancée, to be on the lookout for a ring inside one of the pumpkins?"

"No, you're right Roy. Tonight lets all go around the mansion and check the pumpkins ourselves. As a group, if we organize ourselves and split up, we can definitely find the right one." Ike dictated to the group. Having been a commander, he naturally assumed the role of leading the group, without complaint from the others.

"Thanks guys." Snake said, sighing in relief.

"But this time, we don't wear a stupid costume!" Link barked threateningly, glaring at the brown haired mercenary.

"Alright fine, you win! No more costume."

"Roy we've gotta talk!" Marth said in an agitated voice, standing in the doorway of their shared room. Roy turned to the group of friends standing behind him.

"Can it wait? We have guests." He asked, hugging his lover and stepping past the bluenette into the room. He walked through the familiar space for a moment before something caught his eye

"Marth, what the hell is this?" Roy asked, creeped out. This hadn't been their when he'd left last night, and he hadn't returned to the room once until now.

"That is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about Roy. I don't care if Halloween is your favorite holiday, this is too far! It was bad enough I had to wake up without you, but then I have to deal with this twilight zone bullshit on top of it!" The bluenette yelled at his lover, the rest of the group filing in behind Roy.

By now they'd gotten used to the couples near endless bickering. Fortunately the two seemed to love each other enough to make up for it, and don't they say a little spark is healthy for a relationship?

"Hi Marth! How are you?" Pit asked politely. Smiling the bluentette gently ruffled the angel's soft copper hair, as he always did.

"I'm well Pit, aside from Roy's shenanigans. How're you?" Marth answered.

"Marth, I didn't leave this." The redhead turned to his group of friends. "Guys, I don't think that this is just fun and games anymore."

The whole group exchanged worried glances at one another, Pit actually gasping in shock.

"Holy shit dude, that's messed up!" Link said, covering his had with his mouth in shock.

Staring at the wall next to the bed, all of the members of the group stared at the yellow piece of paper tacked to the wall with what looked to be dozens of sewing needles. An uneasiness spreading through all of them, they scanned the harshly scrawled letters written across the yellow memo.

_Hello there friend. I see you've taken an interest in me, just as I have taken an interest in all of you. We should really hang out some time, and get to know one another. I was having so much fun last Nite. I actually got chills! To bad I had to run._

_We'll hang out again sometime though._

_Hugs and Kisses, The Halloween Slasher_

Next time on our show-

The ring hunt begins as the group searches for the pumpkin with a 'special' something inside. But what will happen when the tables are turned, and the _other _Halloween Slasher decides to do a little hunting of his own?

Tune in next time!


	3. Chapter 3

**Who's The Halloween Slasher**

**Nite 003: After Image**

"**Well, clearly we're in way over our heads." Snake declared to the group. They were sitting haphazardly spread about the main part of Marth and Roy's room. Snake and Ike were at the table by the window, Pit was lying on the floor, Link was sitting on the bed, and Marth and Roy were curled up on the couch.**

"**Not necessarily Snake, for all we know this is just a prank." Ike said, not terribly convinced by his own explanation.**

"**I don't think so Ike, they left that note in our room. Our **_**locked**_** room!" Roy said, hugging his lover sitting next to him. The redhead who was usually the very image of confidence seemed awfully shaken up.**

"**Well, couldn't Marth have left the note as a prank? Or maybe he wanted to get back at you for staying out all night?" Link blurted.**

"**Really Link? You're gonna do that to me?" Marth spat, craning his head towards the blonde in disbelief.**

"**Well, it is possible, right? I'm not saying you did, but it would be impossible otherwise, wouldn't it?" Pit added quietly. Clearly the brunette was uncomfortable with accusing his friends of anything. The boy turned so that he was on his side and looked Marth in the eye's.**

"**Pit, I'm not the prank type, and I **_**hate**_** Halloween." The bluenette stated aggressively, folding his arms across his chest. It was true, Marth wasn't particularly festive this time of year. Everyone at the mansion knew that the prince's stance on Halloween was that it was as frivolous as it was obnoxious. **

"**Yeah guys, I don't think Marth would do this. He knows I scare easily, and besides, this is going a little too far. I mean **_**sewing needles**_**? That's screwed up, even for a prank." Roy muttered, still rattled. Marth rubbed the redhead on the shoulder to calm him down**

"**Still though, then how did he get into the room? Not like he could be a ghost." Snake said offhandedly. A hush fell over the room as soon as the mercenary finished talking. The thought had crossed everybody's mind at least once. Link let out a long sigh and made the decision he was hoping he wouldn't have to.**

"**I think we're gonna need Soren's help." He said, dreading the thought of involving his boyfriend in things.**

"**Link, that's a bad idea. Soren hates when we waste his time, and this is **_**definitely **_**something he'd think was a waste of time." Ike replied, familiar with the tacticians cold nature.**

"**But he could figure this out Ike. You know he could." Link said quietly. The mercenary thought this over for a second.**

"**Fuck, you're right! He probably could. Damn! All right, go get him then. You know he's gonna have both our asses, right?"**

"**Yeah I know." The Hylian replied sullenly. Standing up, the blonde exited the room and jogged off down the mansions halls towards his and Soren's room.**

"**Oh crap! I was supposed to go pick Pike up like an hour ago! Ganon's gonna kill me!" Pit exclaimed. Standing up the cherub immediately bolted out the door.**

"**So the door was locked when you left Roy?" Soren asked, giving the note on the wall a quick glance before dismissing it.**

"**Yeah, I used my key to lock it." The redhead replied.**

"**Did you hear it click?" The black haired boy asked flatly.**

"**Huh? God Soren, I don't know! I can't remember." Roy responded.**

"**Hmm…whatever then. Probably doesn't matter. But the chain couldn't have been in place if you locked the door behind you. What about you Marth, did you put the chain in place when you went to bed?"**

"**I was already asleep when Roy left. I had a migraine, and knew today would be an early one, so I wanted to get enough sleep." Marth answered. Soren appeared to have not even paid attention to the response.**

"**No chain… locked door…" The red eyed tactician mumbled to himself. Walking over to the door, he opened it and carefully studied the side of the door, particularly the bolt. Poking his finger into the hole that contained the retracted bolt. Then, arching his whole body, the red eyed boy examined the slot where the bolt would go when the door was locked. Suddenly he yelped in delight, mashing his fist into his palm.**

"**How simple!" Soren exclaimed.**

"**What's up babe? You figure something out?" Link asked, perking up. He hadn't seen the youth so lively in a while. He knew the boy loved puzzles and such, but not this much. Running over to his lover, Soren pecked the blonde on the cheek.**

"**I need a few lucky pennies, anybody have any?" The raven head asked, positively beaming. Confused, the whole group checked their pockets.**

"**Here wait a minute, me and Roy have a coin jar." Marth said, scampering of to fetch some coins.**

"**Is ten enough?" The bluenette asked, producing some pennies. The black haired boy swiped them from the bluenette without even saying anything. Arranging the pennies in a stack he placed them into the socket in the doorframe where the bolt would go.**

"**Soren, I get what you're thinking, but that wouldn't work, the key wouldn't turn." Snake said, following the tacticians logic.**

"**Just watch." Soren pleaded, backing away from the door.**

"**Try to lock the door from this side." Soren offered, gesturing to Marth. The bluenette hesitantly walked to the door and tried to turn the latch.**

"**It can't turn all the way, the pennies are blocking the bolt." Marth stated, knowing that was what Soren expected.**

"**Exactly, but now lets step outside." The group followed the red eyed boy's instructions closely, and filed out into the hallway behind him.**

"**You want me to try the key now?" Marth asked, skeptically.**

"**Is there a point to this?" Snake asked, starting to doubt the mage.**

"**Nope, **_**you **_**try **_**your **_**key Roy." Soren ordered, ignoring the brunette. Puzzled Roy walked over to the closed door and slid his key in, turning the lock, the redhead heard a gentle click as his key rotated.**

"**It locked, but how? The pennies-" Roy tried to say before Soren cut him off. Turning the handle the black haired boy easily opened the door.**

"**It wasn't locked?" Link asked, dumbstruck. **

"**I don't get it." Pit chimed in, equally confused.**

"**The pennies were to stop the bolt, the trick is making it so that the person would **_**think**_** the door was locked. This doesn't work whey you lock the door from the inside **_**but, **_**when you use the key, its almost impossible to tell."**

"**But I locked it, the key turned in the lock, I heard a click and everything!" Roy retorted, clearly lost.**

"**The click was the sound of the bolt hitting the pennies. And if you'll notice, the key didn't turn all the way, but that would be easy for someone to miss. These locks are what really make it work, they're old, the constructions shoddy. Look how the bolt is receded into its frame." The group bent over Soren's shoulder to get a better look. The raven head actually had a point, the bolt was sunk into its socket almost a quarter of an inch. **

"**So when I turned the key, the door didn't lock because of the pennies?" Roy asked, unsure of whether he followed.**

"**Right, try it now." Soren ordered, removing the pennies. On command Roy tried his key again. It turned just the same as before, the redhead thought. He tried it again, and then he noticed the difference. The key turned three quarters of the way when the pennies weren't in the lock, but only turned halfway when they were.**

"**I barely noticed!" Roy exclaimed.**

"**Am I good or what?" Soren bragged, basking in his victory.**

"**How'd you know?" Ike asked, amazed.**

"**Simple, there are scratches on the bolt, and if you look at the wood inside this socket there are notches where the pennies dug into the wood. The Slaher could have used dimes too, but I don't think it matters." Soren explained.**

"**So the kids the shit after all!" Snake said, giving the frail tactician a hearty pat on the back.**

**---**

"**Thank you Ganon for watching him today, are you're sure you don't mind if he spends the night?" Pit asked, not wanting to impose. The redhead grinned and laughed deeply.**

"**Are you kidding? Of course not, I love having Pike over!" Ganon replied.**

"**Yeah, he loves having Pike over!" Pike bellowed, trying to imitate the man's deep voice. The dark skinned king laughed and scooped Pike up, resting the small boy on one of his massive shoulders. The small cherub giggled, his tiny wings beating in excitement. **

"**Well, if you're sure he's not a bother…"**

"**Sure I'm sure!" Ganon laughed, patting Pit on the shoulder. Lifting his son off of the larger Gerudo, Pit gave Pike a hug and kissed him on the cheek.**

"**You make sure to behave while me and daddy are gone. And don't you wear Ganon out, it was very nice of him to watch you for us." **

"**I promise dad, I promise." Pike grumbled. Adjusting his sons laurel, Pit brushed the boys long blue hair off of his face.**

"**I love you Pike." **

"**I love you too daddy." The boy chirped. Turning, Pit left the mans room, closing the door gently behind him.**

"**Well, says here on Ike's instructions 'make sure Pit eats his vegetables at dinner'. Too bad, I don't think that there's any vegetable's on **_**pizza**_**!" Ganon exclaimed.**

"**Yay pizza!!!" Pike exclaimed, jumping up and down.**

"**I thought you'd like that, it should get here in a few minutes. But don't tell your dad's, it's our little secret"**

"**Hey Snake, where are you? This is your hunt and we were about to leave without you." Link inquired, talking into his cell phone. The Hylian had his other hand shoved deep into the pocket of the emerald parka he was in.**

"**Sorry I can't make it. Samus is in the 'mood', if you know what I mean." The mercenary whispered, sitting on the toilet of their rooms bathroom.**

"**What do you mean 'in the mood'!? I don't care! This is your stupid hunt you moron!" The Hylian exclaimed.**

"**Sorry Link, I've never said no to her before, it'd seem odd if I did now. Especially if I can't give her a reason. Thanks for the help though." Before Link got the chance to yell at his friend over the phone, Roy grabbed it from him.**

"**How is Samus lately? Is she still-" Roy inquired.**

"**I wouldn't push it Roy, because **_**yes, **_**she's still mad at you." Snake interjected.**

"**Crap."**

"**Gotta go, she's getting antsy. I'll see you tomorrow." The mercenary said apologetically.**

"**No Snake, you can't just-" He heard the brunette hang up the phone.**

"**Bastard!"**

"**Lets just get this thing started already. First thing first- we need to split up." Ike said, rubbing his hands together for warmth.**

"**Well, it looks like me and Roy have the warmest jackets, we should probably search the pumpkins in the courtyard, and around the grounds." Link said, studying the redhead who was wearing a thick brown leather bomber jacket.**

"**Sounds good, me and Pit will search the North and West wings. Soren, you and Marth should search the South and East wings."**

"**Why am I even part of this stupid search party?" Marth asked cynically.**

"**Yeah, I don't get why we-" Soren tried to say.**

"**Just search please" Link pleaded.**

"**Oh, before I forget, I got the sick ass walkie talkies!" Roy exclaimed, reaching into his messenger back and producing a walkie talkie in each hand.**

"**Why?" Pit asked, cocking his head sideways.**

"**Yes, why indeed. We have cell phones." Marth added, face palming.**

"**But walkie talkies are cooler!" Roy said passing them out to the group. As each person turned the knob on their individual device. A loud squawking sound could be heard coming out of each persons individual communicator.**

"**They're all set to the same frequency already, so don't worry about that." Roy said over the ear splitting static.**

"**When do they stop making this noise!?" Pit cried, trying to cover his ears.**

"**Oh, that's just because they're close together." Roy yelled over the deafening chaff.**

"**You're a complete dumb ass Roy!" Ike called.**

"**What!?" The redhead asked, leaning closer to the bluenette so he could hear.**

"**I said lets split up!" **

"**Fuck! Shit! Where are you now Marth!?" Soren called into his walkie talkie, running down the corridors in the South wing of the mansion as fast as he could.**

"**I'm not sure, Somewhere in the- I'm at the library! I just passed Library 1!" The bluenette panted into his walkie talkie.**

"**Okay, wait for me in the library! Shit, I knew splitting up was a bad idea! You guys heard that right!? Marth's got the Slasher right on his tail at the library!" The raven haired tactician exclaimed into the communicator.**

"**Soren, that's impossible. Me and Link are following the Halloween Slasher now, he's on the roof again!" Roy replied.**

"**Shit, there he goes Pit, we can't lose him! What are you guy's talking about!? We just spotted him in the West wing!"**

"**What the hell is going on!?!" Soren roared into the mic, his adrenaline surging.**

"**Soren, hurry up! I locked the door but I think it's gonna get in! I don't know what the fuck he is! Superhumanly fast, stronger than anything I've ever seen, it's like he's not human!!!" Marth exclaimed into the walkie talkie, Soren could hear the fear in his voice.**

"**Just stay calm Marth, I'll be at the library in like five more minutes!" The red eyed boy replied.**

"**Fuck, I think ours just got away!" Link yelled into the mic in frustration. **

"**Hang on Marth, We're near the library now! We just need to find a way down!" Roy called into the walkie talkie, concerned for his lover.**

"**Yes! I got him!" Pit called into his own communicator. **

"**Got him? You caught him Pit?" Soren asked, feeling a tinge of excitement.**

"**No, not yet Soren, Pit shot him in the face with an arrow. Hit him right in the mask! We're gonna move in now that he's stunned and- Pit! Look out!!!" Ike screamed, cutting himself off. Soren could hear the sounds of banging and chaos through the speakers. Then he heard the sound of footsteps from the other end.**

"_**Son of a gun, isn't this fun?" **_**A raspy voice grumbled into the walkie talkie.**

"**Who the fuck are you!?! What happened to Ike and Pit!?" Soren yelled, a sense of dread spreading through the tactician.**

"_**Having fun, you son of a gun?" **_**The voice grumbled again. Horrified, Soren could only imagine that the worst had happened. Frantically the tactician yelled anything he could think of at the person talking through the radio.**

"**Soren, don't worry. Me and Ike are fine." Pit interrupted. "The Slasher guy knocked me and Ike over, he got Ike's talkie too!" Pit's voice cried out of Soren's communicator. Soren breathed a sigh of relief, but was still shaken from the sudden chaos. **

"**Soren, Marth was right, this guys a tank! He plowed right through us!" Ike said into Pits radio.**

_**What is going on? There are three of them!? How can this be happening? There's gotta be a trick, there can't really be three!**_

**The black haired boy rounded the corner and found himself at a set of double doors against the wall next to him. He had to go by the gold placard which read 'Library 1' next to the doors, the mansion looked completely different at night.**

**Trying the handles on the doors, he found that they were locked from the other side. Jiggling them furiously, the red eyed tactician called into the room for Marth to let him in.**

"**Marth it's me, Soren! The Halloween Slasher is gone now, so you can open the door!" There was no response from the other side. Fearing the worst the raven head backed away from the door and slid his tome out of his robes.**

"**Are you sure we're in the right place?" Link asked once more, eyeing Roy skeptically. The redhead was holding onto Link's hookshot who's head was lodged in the stone grout of the ceiling.**

"**For the thousandth time Link, I'm positive the Library 1 is right below us. Now I'm gonna repel down and open the giant window that's in the library. Then, I'll send the hookshot back up for you.**

"**Roy I don't think that window open-" Before the blonde could finish the boy had already kicked away from the wall with his feet and was free falling. Descending about fifteen feet, the hookshot's chain reached its maximum length, and the redhead swung back towards the wall. Suddenly the Hylian heard a loud crashing sound, followed by the noise of glass shattering and several other loud thumps.**

"**Falcon one to falcon two! I'm in the library!" Link heard Roy shout into the microphone.**

"**Roy, why are we falcons now!?! What was that noise!?" Link cried, feeling a lump building in his throat.**

"**Um… I may have crashed through the glass window of the library. I may also have broken a table." The redhead stated apologetically. There was a long pause from the Hylian.**

"**I may have just pissed my pants Roy. Do you know how screwed we are?" Link mumbled into the radio. **

**As the doors to Library 1 burst open, nearly flying off of their hinges, Soren immediately scanned the room for any signs of Marth. Looking at the massive shelves of books and numerous tables, everything seemed undisturbed. The black haired boy could hear the clack of his own footsteps echoing through the study as he walked across the cold marble floor.**

**The tactician could barely see anything, the only source of light was the pale orange glow of the moon through the massive widow of the library.**

"**Oh that's great Roy, that's just great! Lets break the door too! Because Zelda won't kill Link if you just tear the whole mansion to the ground! She'd never do that!!!" The Hylian screamed at the redhead, who was lowering the leg that had just kicked down the door of Library 1. **

"**Well, it wasn't opening, what was I supposed to do? Looks like somebody jammed a pipe through the handles so it wouldn't open. Wonder why?" Roy asked as he examined the pipe on the ground. The redhead was unsure if he was thinking aloud, or if Link was actually going to answer him."**

"**Roy…this isn't Library 1."**

"**What are you talking about? Of course it is!"**

"**You retard! This is Library 2! Look at the placard!" Link exclaimed, pointing to the golden bronze placard on the wall.**

**Ike and Pit reached Library 1 only minutes after Soren had forced the door open. They saw the dark haired tactician sitting at one of the tables, his head in his hands.**

"**Soren, what's up? Where's Marth?" Ike asked, looking the room over.**

"**Did something happen?" Pit asked worriedly.**

"**He's not here guys, I can't get him on the radio, or his cell. Marth's gone you guys." Soren quietly answered, his head still in his palms.**

**Next time on our show-**

**Marth missing? Oh the humanity! What can the gang do, with the Slasher now picking them off one by one? With only a day to go before the Halloween masquerade, the clock is ticking faster then ever!**

**Tune in next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

Who's The Halloween Slasher

Nite 004: The Wrong Place At The Perfect Time

_Medical Bay_

_Room 302. Recovery Section._

_Marth. Broken Nose, possible concussion. Unconscious._

_The Halloween Slasher, XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO_

As Dr. Mario ran through the halls of the south wing that connected to the Medical Bay, a small building entirely separate of the rest of the mansion, he read through the text message again. As he quickly slipped on his lab coat he approached the doors to the clinic. Putting his clipboard in between his teeth, he went through his pockets of the white coat looking for his swipe card. Reaching his left hand into his breast pocket, he felt his fingers brush against the plastic card. Swiping it though the card reader, he opened the doors to the Medical Bay, which was completely off limits after hours.

_The Halloween Slasher? Thought that was just some stupid holiday rumor, now there really is one? Don't get carried away, this is probably just some prank, Marth probably won't even be in the room. How could he be? There's no way into this wing, you would need a card to get in. _

Now running though the white tiled hall of the sterile hospital, the only noise that Dr. Mario could hear was his own footsteps and their echoes. Now finding himself in front of room 302, he heard the heels of his loafers squeak on the tiles as he came to an abrupt stop. _He'd better not be in here… I hope there's nobody in here. _Exhaling a very deep nervous sigh, the doctor threw the door open.

To his dismay, he could just barely make out the dark silhouette of a person, lying sideways in the cot.

"God damn! God damn Marth!" Mario yelled flipping on the light switch and running over to the cot. Quickly he surveyed the bluenette.

_No visible injuries other than profuse bleeding from the nasal cavity. Looks to be some bruising above both eyebrows. I can see a small contusion between the eyes on the bridge of the nose. Patient appears to be unconscious, but breathing is steady._

Grabbing his pen, the doctor ran the metal 'ten years of service' gift up the boys arm, gently tickling it. Reflexively the prince's fingers curled up.

_Reflex is downwards and not upwards, patient is unlikely to have any substantial brain damage. MRI will be needed to confirm of course. _

The doctor was about to examine Marth's neck for any possible spinal injury when he heard the sound of knuckles rapping against the oak door to the new patients room. Mario could feel a shiver run down his entire spine.

"_Sorry if I'm interrupting doctor, but you should really leave the door closed. Did you want privacy?" _Dr. Mario heard a voice quietly rasp from behind him. Gulping down the lump in his throat, the Italian slowly turned around to face exactly what he hoped _wouldn't _be standing behind him. Mario had to guess that the mysterious person in the black coat standing behind him was the Halloween Slasher.

"Who the hell do you think you are!? This area is restricted at night!" Mario croaked. The figure slowly approached the doctor, ignoring the question. As the shadow drew closer, its dignified stride growing quicker, Mario raised his clipboard to try to defend himself.

In one incredibly fast motion, the Slasher snatched the clipboard from the doctor. Taking another step closer so that it was only inches from the terrified brunette, the figure gently removed his stethoscope from around his neck. Mario jumped as he heard the loud clack of his clipboard hitting the ground.

Rummaging through it's flowing blonde hair, the Slasher finally managed to put the ear buds into it's ears. Reaching the metal amplifier at the end of the device up under it's mask, Dr. Mario could hear the sound of the Halloween Slasher heavily breathing onto the stethoscope a few times.

"_This might be a little cold, bear with me."_

Now reaching out it's gloved hand, the Shadow gently snaked the device into Mario's shirt, on which the top two buttons were undone, and pressed the stethoscope to his chest.

"_Ba-bumb." _The figure gurgled, mimicking a heartbeat. Mario's eye's went wide with horror and he was already paralyzed with fear.

"_Ba-bump…Ba-bump." _The Slasher said again. _"Ba-bump…Ba-bump…Ba-bump." _The doctor wanted to move, or run, to just do anything. But he found that all he could do was stand in horror, his eye's fixed on the figure before him.

"_Ba-bump, Ba-bump, Ba-bump, Ba-bump." _The Slasher whispered into Mario's ear, the rhythm of the 'ba-bumps' growing even faster. Suddenly feeling as though he were hypnotized by the Slasher's yellow mask, all Mario could do was a stare blankly at the yellow wood mask, his heart racing.

"_BA-BUMP BA-BUMP BA-BUMP BA-BUMP!" _The Halloween Slasher suddenly cried, barely an inch from the brunette's face. Wincing and squeezing his eyes shut, the doctor braced for the worst.

After a couple moments of no signs that he was about to die a horrible death Mario decided to peek one of his eye's open.

The whole room was empty, nobody was there except for him, and his newest patient, Marth. Letting out a heavy sigh of relief, Dr. Mario turned his attention to the bluenette.

"Well fuck me!" He exclaimed in relief, giving a quick glance to the door. Running over, he made sure to lock it securely. Then stopping to think for a moment, he decided to draw the blinds just in case.

"Well I have to hand it to you guys, not only did you _not_ listen to me when I said to stay out of the halls at night, but you've outdone yourselves. You managed to cause _even more_ property damage last night than the night before!" The Hylian yelled, slamming her hand against the desk. As she bored a hole through her damage report with her eyes, the group could see the paper visibly shaking in her hand.

"Zelda I tried to stop Roy I really di-"

"Save it Link, we'll talk about this later!" Zelda screeched, petrifying the blonde who shrank immediately back into his seat.

"Zelda I don't think the damage should be our biggest concern right now! I think that it's clearly been shown that the Halloween Slasher isn't just some prankster! He hospitalized Marth for Gods sake!"

"Well Ike, if you and your little band of detectives can find a way to investigate _without_ demolishing the mansion, I wouldn't have a problem. As it were though, it seems you guys just can't help yourselves!"

"But Zelda it wasn't really our fault, it was-" Roy tried to argue.

"Nine hundred dollars to repair the doors in Library 1, and another five hundred to replace the locks on the doors to Library 2. As well as three hundred dollars to repair the roof above the East Wing."

"Hey don't you ignore-" Roy yelled.

"Then lets not forget the three thousand dollars we're going to need to pay to replace the massive window in library 1 that you and Link decided to smash."

"I didn't smash it Zelda! It was Roy!" Link frantically countered.

"Plus Zelda, if I could just say something. Whoever this Slasher is, they're no joke. Ike's right, this is serious business." Marth said, pressing an ice pack to his bruised left eyebrow.

"I understand fully the gravity of the situation. I'll continue to investigate from here, but I just can't have you guys tearing the mansion apart." The princess replied, giving the prince a sympathetic look.

"Yeah, you guys are spreading our budget thin! We're already paying a whole bunch to have all the old locks in this mansion changed. Between that and the Halloween party, we can't afford this!" Peach scolded in a huffy voice.

"Peach there's also the fact of the matter that I think the Halloween Slasher, or _Slashers_ must have access to restricted area's within _your_ home. They got Marth into the hospital which is closed off to all brawlers at night." Soren spoke up, eager to see her reaction. Her eye's immediately narrowed.

"What are you trying to imply Soren?" She shot, glaring at the sage.

"I'm implying nothing. I just feel you should be concerned that a stranger has free reign of your mansion."

"Look, tensions are getting high. Lets just call it a day. Could you guys just please promise me that you won't do anything stupid the night of the masquerade?" Zelda pleaded, rubbing her temples.

"Yeah, of course we can promise!" Pit bubbled, earning a surprised stare from everybody in the room.

"You know we can't let this drop right?" Ike asked his angel as they walked down the hallway leading out of Zelda's office.

"I know Ike, but we shouldn't worry Zelda so much. She seems to be very stressed already." The cherub replied, taking Ike's hand in his own.

"You said it Pit. What's her deal? Is it her time of the month!?" Roy asked, irritated.

"No Roy, she gets like this every year. Halloween is her favorite holiday. So every year she runs herself ragged trying to make the celebration even better than the year before." Link replied, as sympathetic to Zelda as he was intimidated.

"Really? I didn't know." Ike said, now understanding why the Hylian had seemed so prickly.

"Well it's your first year at the tournament Ike. I'm surprised you didn't notice Roy. She went all out last year." Marth explained, switching his ice bag from his left eyebrow to his right.

"Wow, the Slasher did a number on you kid!" Snake exclaimed as he exited Library 2 and ran into his friends.

"Snake where were you last night!?" Link exploded at his friend.

"Getting laid, what else?" The man replied, grinning. Immediately Samus emerged from the library as well and hit her lover on the head with a book.

"Oh grow up!" The blonde pouted.

"Sorry Sam." The man apologized, giving the group a wink.

"Hey! What's that pervert doing here!?" Samus screamed, pointing at Roy.

"Pervert! I'll have you know I was doing important business that night!" Roy yelled back.

"Like what? Going through my panties!? You sicko!"

"I'm gay Samus! What the hell would I want with your ugly panties!?" The redhead fumed.

"Guys shut up for a second!" Soren screeched over the two. "This is library 2?" The black haired sage asked.

"Yeah, of course it is. I know you're new here, but you don't know where the libraries are?" Samus inquired.

"I thought that you loved to read Soren?" Pit added.

"But last night." The raven head mumbled under his breath.

"What about last night?" Ike asked, putting both his hands on the tacticians shoulders and looking him in the eye's.

"So that's how the killer got Marth out of the library! It was impossible otherwise! The doors were locked from the inside, it was a sealed room!" The boy yelled, a smile spreading across his face.

"What do you mean Soren?" Marth asked.

"Well Marth, the door's to Library 1 were locked from the inside when I arrived. So then, how did the Slasher get you out of the room?"

"That's a good question Soren." Pit chimed in.

"Furthermore, why was there a pipe securing the doors to Library 2 shut last night?" Soren continued.

"Me and Link thought that was weird too." Roy replied.

"Marth do you remember _anything _from when the Slasher abducted you? Did he break down the door?" Soren asked.

"I don't know Soren, I can't really remember." Marth explained.

"I think I know how the Slasher made you disappear from a sealed room Marth! It was the placards!" Soren bubbled, enjoying his solving of yet another riddle.

"What about the placards?" Samus asked. "Y'mean the placards in front of the doors?"

"Yeah those ones. They're all the same size, and they can slide out of there holders, they're not screwed down. I think that what the Slasher did was rearrange all of the placards in the East Wing."

"What would that do?" Pit questioned.

"I don't get what difference that would make Soren, rooms are still rooms." Snake added.

"But all the rooms in the East Wing are either studies, libraries, or offices. They'd look the same in the dark, especially if you exchanged the placards with similar rooms. For example if you switched all the office placards with other office placards, and library placards with other library placards."

"I get it, so even if I told you guys what room I disappeared from, you would come to the wrong room!" Marth exploded, following the sages reasoning.

"Exactly, this would also keep us from interrupting him while he kidnapped you." Soren added.

"But what if Marth hadn't said anything into the radio, wouldn't it be for nothing?" Link said.

"Not necessarily, I don't think the killer was necessarily planning on Marth yelling into the radio. I think he was just planning on Marth waking up and telling us he was kidnapped from the wrong room. Of course naturally Marth tried to get help from us over the radio, so his plan worked even better."

"But all the placards are back to normal now…oh, I get it. He switched them back so that we wouldn't be able to tell! The killer would switch the placards before hand. Marth would run into one of the rooms, then the killer would switch the placards on the two libraries back." Snake said, answering his own question.

"Right, that's what completes the illusion. The Slasher wanted us to think he was a ghost, same with the time when he used the pennies on the door. But his plan failed, we can prove that he switched the placards just like we can prove he used the pennies."

"The proof is the window, right Soren?" Ike guessed, hoping he wasn't making a fool of himself.

"Of course, Roy and Link smashed the window, the window of Library 1! But then the placard on the wall said Library 2!" Marth interjected.

"That's the proof guys. There is no ghost, there's just some people playing a prank on us! The question is…who?" Soren stated.

Cuddling in their shared bed, neither wearing any clothing, Soren sighed happily as he nuzzled his face into Link's chest. He loved spending time with the Hylian like this, just the two of them. His mind kept wandering though, drifting back to the case. Suddenly Soren yelped and bolted up.

"What's the matter Soren? Cold hands?" Link asked, chuckling. Without answering his lover, Soren Ran over to his desk and began to write on a piece of loose leaf paper.

"Baby? What'cha writing?" The Hylian inquired, concerned by the red eyed boy's suspicious behavior. Running back over to the bed, Soren handed Link a scrap of paper.

_People who CAN'T be HS-_

_Link_

_Roy_

_Ike_

_Pit_

_Ganon_

_People who CAN be HS-_

_Marth_

_Soren_

_Snake_

_Samus_

_Peach_

_Zelda_

_Samus_

"What does this list mean Soren? Hey, how come you're on the _can_ list!?"

"Because I can't prove I'm _not _the Slasher. I have no alibi. Neither do any of the people on that list. But only two of them are the Slasher." The boy cooed, sitting on the bed next to Link.

"_Two_? I thought there were _three _Slasher's last night. The one who chased Marth, the one me and Roy followed, and the one Ike and Pit ran into. Wait, how do you know Pit and Ike are innocent?"

"Well Link, one of those Slasher's wasn't really the Slasher at all, it was just a way for one of the _real _Slashers to create an alibi. But they're alibi go screwed up by you and Roy, by accident. The other one I can't prove is a Slasher, but they've gotta be. I just need to get some proof."

"But how'd you know Ike and Pit couldn't be Slashers?" Link asked, puzzled by his love's genius.

"Oh, well because it can be proved you and Roy were on the roof at the time Marth was kidnapped, you have to be innocent. Roy said he bumped into Ike in the hall the first time they ran into the Slasher in the hall, he said he saw Pit leaving the bathroom too."

"But then couldn't one of them still be the second Slasher?"

"No, you had the second Slasher on the roof the first night. He knocked you off too." Soren explained

"Oh, well in that case who are these two Slashers?"

"Well the one I can _prove _is a Slasher is _______. The other one is _______." Soren said.

"Of course, it's so obvious! Now it all makes sense, the pennies, the switched placards. And that's why Marth got knocked out!" Link exclaimed, kissing his lover on the lips to congratulate him.

"Yep, and I'll unmask them both soon enough. I'll get _______ to confess to it tomorrow night, and I have a plan to catch ________ in the act and get all the proof I need." The red eyed tactician chuckled, smiling devilishly.

"How do you know _______ will even try anything at the masquerade?" The blonde asked his lover, astounded.

"Are you kidding? The masquerade will be the grand finale! How could _______ help themselves?" Soren answered.

"So what's this plan of yours?" Link questioned his lover.

Next time on our show-

I think you pretty much know what happens next time, _______ and _______ are going down. But to spice things up, check out the author UZUDAE's page, there's gonna be a poll. Vote for the pair you think is most likely to be the Slashers.

Tune in next time!


	5. Chapter 5

Who's The Halloween Slasher?

Nite 005: Ruffled Feathers

"Did you get everything set up?" Soren asked, pecking Link on the cheek.

"Yup. Ike, Pit, and Roy will all be in their places. You're sure that you're right though?" Link answered his lover, having second thoughts.

"Sure I'm sure. We nab _______ now. Then we have a few hours until the party, where we'll nab Peach" The tactician cooed, determination in his voice.

"You're sure that Peach is the other Slasher?" Link asked, still having doubts.

"One hundred percent love. I can't prove it, but the proof can wait for later." The red eyed boy replied.

"Hey Link, what's up?" Marth asked the blonde, jogging down the hall to keep up. The blonde nearly jumped a mile out of his shoes.

"Damn Marth! You scared the crap outta me!" The Hylian exclaimed, whipping around to face the prince.

"Sorry, not my intention." Marth apologized, putting his hands up in surrender. "Can I talk to you about something?" Link's eyes narrowed.

"What did you want to talk about?" The Hylian asked suspiciously.

"Well…did…I'm not sure how to put this. Has Soren told you if… is he the Halloween Slasher?" Marth blurted. Blushing he braced for the blonde to explode in anger.

"Did Soren- no, no of course not! He, he couldn't be the Slasher, right?" Link responded, thinking to himself. _But it is sort of suspicious._

"Don't you think it's strange? How he somehow always knows how the Slasher is doing it? And that night! He was all alone the night we were searching the pumpkins, he could have been the one I saw! The one who…" The bluenette trailed off. Link ran the conversation on the radio through his head.

"_Fuck! Shit! Where are you now Marth!?"_

"_I'm not sure, Somewhere in the- I'm at the library! I just passed Library 1!" _

"_Okay, wait for me in the library! Shit, I knew splitting up was a bad idea!" _

The words hung heavy in Link's mind.

_I knew splitting up was a bad idea. _

_Where are you now?_

"Soren was the only one in the group who was alone that night. Him and me." The prince stated quietly, casting nervous glances down the hallway.

"But Soren couldn't be the Slasher? Could he?" It did seem suspicious to Link.

"It was his idea to split up Link. His idea." The Hylian had to think about this.

Could his lover really be behind this whole thing? He was definitely smart enough, and if he had help it would be possible. _He knew too much, not even Soren could be that smart! Something's off, right? But it's Soren, I love him, why would he do this? Would he do this?_ Taking a deep breath to clear his thoughts, the blonde made up his mind.

"Alright, meet me in an hour Marth. But meet me at one of the private studies. Make it…make it 7. Meet me at private study 7. You're right, something is strange, and I don't want Soren to find out we know." The blonde said, though it pained him.

"Thanks Link, I hope I'm wrong. If I'm not though, we've got to figure out what the hell's gotten into Soren!" With that the bluenette turned and jogged off down the hall.

"Zelda, the ballroom should be all ready to go!" Peach piped up as the Hylian woman entered their shared office. The two women were both heads of the competitions housing department. While Peach oversaw all renovations, repairs, and guest resource matters, Zelda oversaw mainly the finances and the monthly budgets.

"Good, all of the decorations are up?" The Hylian asked, giving her lover a gentle kiss on the lips. Immediately the princess blushed.

"Zelda, at least shut the door." The whispered, worried someone might see. Zelda was happy to oblige her.

"The pumpkins are in place too right? There needs to be enough of them." The dirty blonde asked as she pinned Peach to the desk by both of her arms. The woman simply blushed and averted her eyes.

"Yeah, everything is ready, the ballroom looks fantastic." Peach stated quietly, her face hot with embarrassment. Zelda planted another gentle kiss on her love and released both of her arms.

"Good, I can't wait. This will be the best Halloween yet." Zelda purred, licking her lips.

"You always do get excited this time of the year." Peach sighed, smoothing the wrinkles of her gown.

"You've never complained before." Zelda replied, giving the blonde a wry smile.

"Because I like you when you're excited." Peach mumbled quietly, feeling the temperature of her face rise again.

"Alright Link, I'm here, now lets talk. I think that the first thing we should discuss is how to prove- why are the lights off? Are you even in here Link?" Marth called, squinting into the darkness of the study. Groping the wall next to the doorframe the bluenette finally managed to find the smooth plastic light switch. The study now illuminated with light the prince could see a black clothed figure with flowing blonde hair. Stumbling back, Marth yelled in terror almost falling over.

"Holy shit!" The prince yelled, closing the door behind himself and locking it.

"What the hell, you scared the shit out of me! What's your problem!" Marth growled, yanking the figure's yellow mask and blonde wig of. Just as the bluenette had thought, Soren.

"Darn, I thought you'd spill the beans or something." Soren said, slightly disappointed. Marth scowled at the red eyed tactician.

"Spill the beans? What are you talking about!?" Marth asked, grinning.

"We know you're one of the Slasher's Marth." The bluenette heard from behind himself. Turning, he watched Link lock the door behind his back.

"Soren told us all about- Shit!" Marth heard as the door to the coatroom burst open, spilling Ike, Pit, and Roy out onto the floor.

"Well Soren's wrong you guys! He's the Slasher, he just want's to turn you all against me!" Marth exploded.

"No you're the Slasher Marth, and I can prove it." Soren said, calmly removing the coat he was wearing. Now standing in only his sage's robes, the youth felt comfortable again.

"Then prove it Soren. Prove it!"

"Well at first I was able to just shake it off, that strange feeling I had, but it was just too many coincidence. Why did the Slasher only leave _you_ a note? Why did he come after _you _that night? And how come it was only _you _he actually hurt?" The price felt a cold sweat break out all over his body as butterflies started dancing in his stomach.

"How should I know!? I mean he's crazy right?" Marth exclaimed.

"I don't think it's because of that Marth, I think it's because _you're _him. Well, at least one of him. I think that the first night you left the room and that you were the Slasher in the hallway, you don't have nearly good enough night vision to be the one Link ran into on the roof. I don't think you were even in the room when Roy left. You said you had a migraine right? Well Roy told me you insisted he keep the lights off, because they hurt your eye's. In the dark of the room a couple pillows under the sheets could easily pass for you." Soren stated, sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs of the room. Crossing his legs and twiddling his thumbs, he stared defiantly right into Marth's eyes. The bluenette only sneered.

"You left the pennies… so that Peach, the Slasher on the roof, could get into the room while you were out. In the meantime your job was to send Ike, Roy, Link, and Pit on a wild goose chase."

"Peach is the other Slasher!" Pit, Ike, and Roy exploded in unison.

"Yeah, and don't interrupt me again." Soren said dismissively.

"But you still haven't proved a god damn-" Marth yelled before the red eyed tacticians gentle voice interrupted him.

"How did you get all those injuries on your face, pretty boy?" Soren asked as a smile crept its way across his face.

"I-I, you know! It was the Slasher, he knocked me out and kidnapped me in the library!" Marth replied, his blood running cold.

"Now Marth, don't patronize me. You got those injuries when Pit shot you in the face with that arrow, didn't you!? That's why you had to make yourself disappear. You needed to have an alibi so that nobody would be suspicious, and getting kidnapped by the Slasher would be the perfect one. You were the Slasher Ike and Pit were chasing." All Marth could reply with was an awkward gasp that got stuck in his throat, turning into a rasp of air.

"Pretty good Soren, but you left out the 'I can prove all of this part'! So it's a nice theory, at best." Marth stammered, grinning nervously.

"But I can prove it Marth, I can." Soren declared, pulling out the plastic radio and tossing it to the prince. Marth was barely able to catch it in time and almost fumbled the communicator.

" Along with Ike's walkie talkie, he and Pit found this one in the hallway. How did your walkie talkie end up in the North Wing? Especially if you were so busy being in the East Wing getting kidnapped?" Running over to the noble Ike and Pit grabbed each of his arms tightly. Staring shocked at his lover Roy couldn't move from his spot on the ground.

"I can explain that! The Slasher took it! He must have dropped it when Ike and Pit-" Marth pleaded

"No, that's impossible Marth. The only Slasher who could have taken your walkie talkie would have still been in the East Wing. Unless the same Slasher could be in two places at once. But then, if the one who attacked you didn't exist, he could be. Couldn't he?" Soren asked the bluentette, smiling victoriously.

"I want answers right now Marth! Why'd you do it! Why!?" Roy yelled at his lover.

"It was…it was supposed to be a Halloween prank. You got me every year Roy, every single one. And all of you helped too. I wanted to pull one for once, get the last laugh. And I found somebody who wanted to stir things up to!" Marth exclaimed, laughing.

"And who was that?" Link asked, already knowing the answer. The bluenette paused slightly before he answered

"You were right, it was Peach." He said flatly.

"This was all…just a joke?" Pit asked, now cocking his head himself.

"Yep, pretty good, huh?" Marth asked.

"I guess it was pretty good." Ike chuckled, releasing one of Marth's arms.

"We're not seriously letting him go, are we!?" Soren asked, aghast at the groups response to Marth's confession.

"Oh what's the harm Soren? It was all in good fun!" Link argued, patting Marth on the back.

"What about all of this chaos! All this running around! Not to mention the property damage-"Soren stopped mid sentence and gasped. He was wrong. _Property damage?_

"Guy's I was wrong about who the other Slasher is! It's not Peach! God, they were right under our nose the whole time!"

"Who's the other Slasher Soren?" Pit asked the red eyed youth.

"The other Slasher was really-"

Next time on our show-

One Slasher down, and one to go! With Marth caught, the gang is going to need a daring plan to catch the other Slasher- during the masquerade itself! Will their plan work? And who in god's name could the last Slasher be?

Aren't you excited?

Tune in next time!


	6. Chapter 6

**Who's The Halloween Slasher?**

**Nite 006: Collateral Damage**

"**How do I look daddy?" Pike asked, twirling around the living room and admiring the flow of the gown he was wearing.**

"**You're sure that's the costume you want to wear Pike?" Ike asked, raising one of his eyebrows. So what if his son wanted to go as a princess for Halloween, that was perfectly natural. Right?**

"**Yes, I like this costume! It's comfy, and I like the way it goes 'swoosh' when it moves!" The tiny bluenette bubbled. Jumping up off the ground he managed to keep himself hovering with his tiny wings long enough to reach his father's height. His wings giving out, he crashed into Ike's chest. Laughing his father scooped his son into a tight hug, being mindful of his delicate wings.**

"**Well, as long as you like it. You're just like mommy, you know that." The mercenary said with a chuckle.**

"**Mommy?" The angel asked, his voice gentle and curious.**

"**I heard that you jerk!" Ike heard his husband call from the kitchen. Laughing the bluenette set his boy down on the ground.**

"**Sorry Pit, couldn't help myself. Will you ever be able to forgive me?"**

"**Probably not." The cherub joked, peeking his head out of the kitchen long enough to stick out his tongue.**

"**How does the coat look Soren?" Link asked as he looked himself up and down. The long black coat reached down almost all the way to his ankles, and the sleeves had to be rolled up so that they didn't cover his hands.**

"**It looks…way to big." Soren said, shaking his head. **_**What will I ever do with him?**_

"**Well it's not like I can help it! I guess Marth's just bigger than me." Link said as he looked at himself in the full length mirror against the wall of their bedroom.**

"**You can say that again. Maybe it'll look better after we put the caution tape on it." Soren offered as he grabbed the roll of yellow tape off of the bed.**

"**I don't think this outfit is going to fool anybody Soren." Link muttered, his ears drooping.**

"**Sure it will…" The sage assured his lover. "I feel like we should maybe cut the sleeves though."**

"**You cannot cut the sleeves on this! Marth is such a pansy when it comes to clothes, he'll throw a fit!"**

"**Well you look like an idiot the way it is now." Soren said as he continued to inspect the coat.**

"**You look like an idiot." Link whispered under his breath.**

"**Wow these mask's are **_**really**_** good Ike! How'd you make them?" Roy exclaimed fingering the yellow clay mast that was an almost perfect replica of the mask the Halloween Slasher wore. **

"**Heh, Zelda's always making stuff with that kiln she has on the patio, so I borrowed some of her clay and the kiln. You like them?" The mercenary asked as he Passed Link his respective mask.**

"**Yeah these are spot on! How'd you learn to make stuff like this?" Link inquired slipping the yellow clay mask over his face.**

"**Well back in my home world, the servants were always making pottery and things for our home, sometimes I would watch them. I never thought that It would actually come in handy." Ike replied, scratching the back of his head.**

"**Well go figure. Bit heavy aren't they?" Snake asked as he juggled his mask between his two hands.**

"**They're fragile too, so don't throw it around!" The bluenette scolded.**

"**Remember you guys, don't keep a low profile at the party, make sure that you get seen. We want you to make as much of a spectacle as possible." Soren said to Snake, Roy, Link, and Ike. The four men were all wearing their full Slasher outfits and were ready to hit the Halloween Masquerade.**

"**How do I look baby?" Ike asked his lover. Looking up at the man, the small cherub winced.**

"**The mask look's kind of scary Ike." The brunette critiqued. **

"**But I look sexy right?" The mercenary joked.**

"**You look like a homicidal maniac!" Roy shot.**

"**And he should look like a homicidal maniac." Soren interjected. "Remember Zelda doesn't know that we got to Marth. And we know that he won't interfere with our plan, will you Marth?" The red eyed tactician asked, turning to the bluenette who was dressed in his own Slasher costume.**

"**Not like I can, can I?" The prince grumbled.**

"**Roy that's your job, keep an eye on Marth the whole night! Don't let him out of your sight, and don't let him take off the costume. Pit do you have those wigs?" Soren asked, turning to the angel.**

"**Yep, I just finished making them!" The angel chirped. Reaching into the black garbage bag he was carrying, Pit proceeded to pass out a blonde wig to everybody in the room.**

"**Now you are **_**all**_** to remain in costume the whole night. You can't take it off, because I need for Zelda to not know which of you is Marth." The raven head declared.**

"**I still don't get how this will help us catch the Slasher." Roy growled, fussing with his wig, which refused to stay on straight.**

"**You all need to gather at the center of the ballroom at midnight. Zelda will be dressed as a Slasher too, and she'll be at the masquerade, I just know it! So if you all go to the center of the ballroom, she'll have to go too, or she'll look suspicious. If she does go to the center then all of you take off your mask's at once. Zelda won't take off her mask. But she'll be in the center of the room with you guys, so you can nab her and force her mask off!" The tactician answered, clenching his fist.**

"**I wasn't there when you caught Marth, but **_**how**_** exactly do we know that Zelda is the second Slasher?" Snake asked from under his mask.**

"**Well at first I thought the other Slasher had to be Peach, because of how the he seemed to be able to get into restricted area's, like the Medical Bay. Also being in charge of all the repairs to the mansion, Peach would know about the problems with the locks on the doors. That would explain how Marth knew the penny trick would work. But then I realized something." Soren replied.**

"**Which was?" Snake pressed.**

"**That the amount of damage the Slashers caused was too incredible. I mean even without the giant window in the library, it was thousands of dollars in damage. That seems a little to gung ho for a prank, doesn't it. But it would make perfect sense if one of the Slashers was in charge of the mansion's budget. Hence how I knew it had to be Zelda, who's in charge of all the competitions fincances! Also Zelda **_**loves **_**Halloween, which makes her even more suspicious." **

"**Alright I get it? That makes perfect sense!" Snake said, patting the sage on the shoulder.**

"**Welcome to the party Snake, we've known this all day! You're now fashionably late though!" Link laughed, nudging the brunette in the side.**

"**I'm gonna go get some punch, you want any?" Ike asked, looking down at his lover. The butler's outfit the cherub was wearing really suited him. He looked very adorable in his pristine formal wear. The cherub had had a near impossible time cutting the wing holes in the back of the vest and shirt, but had somehow managed, and the outfit looked great.**

"**No thanks, how about you little guy, want some punch?" Pit asked his son, who wasn't really dancing so much as he was hopping in place.**

"**I want punch! I want punch!" The little angel exclaimed, fluttering his wings.**

"**Alright Pike, I'll bring you back a cup." Ike replied, chuckling at his son's enthusiasm.**

"**Pike be careful with your wings, you could poke someone's eye out." Pit gently scolded.**

"**May I have this dance?" Ganon asked, bellowing a laugh as he preformed an exaggerated bow befoe Pike dressed in his princess costume. The small bluenette giggled, and took the larger man by his hand and the hook coming out of his left sleeve. **

**The Gerudo king looked laughable and completely ridiculous dressed up in a pirate costume complete with a hook, an eye patch, a hat, and even a small parrot sewn onto the shoulder. As the two spun doing a dance that looked like a hyperactive version of the waltz, they disappeared into the crowd of other brawlers. **

"**Alright I'm back and I- where's Pike?" Ike asked, pulling his mask away from his face for a moment. The stupid thing got incredibly uncomfortable, and reflected his hot breath right back onto his face.**

"**He went off dancing with Ganon. Here I'll have his punch." Pit said, smiling and politely taking the plastic cup.**

"**Y'know they say that Slasher guy's gonna show up here tonight." Luigi whispered to his dancing partner, Daisy.**

"**No way, that's just a stupid myth!" Daisy replied, shrugging the comment off. Under his mask Marth couldn't help but grin as he overheard their conversation.**

"**Proud of yourself?" Roy asked from under his own mask.**

"**A little. Couldn't you at least admit that it was a good prank?" Marth goaded, as he led Roy through the waltz.**

"**No it wasn't a good prank! You scared the shit out of me!" **

"**Oh what, you mean like the year that you made me think that you'd been murdered and that an axe murderer was going to come after me next!?" Marth hissed under his breath.**

"**Oh come on, that was harmless."**

"**I spent the whole night locked in the bathroom!"**

"**Alright fine, that one might have been a 'little' overboard." Roy retorted, leaning close to his lover's ear. "Are we even now?" He whispered.**

"**Yeah, we're even."**

"**Good!" Roy exclaimed, pressing the mouth of his mask to the mouth of the Prince's mask. The clay clicked quietly as the mask's kissed, but the sound was lost in the noise of the dance floor.**

"**Snake, can I ask you something?" Samus asked, setting down her glass of wine and staring the brunette dead in the eye's, or where she guessed his eye's would be under the mask.**

"**Could you take off the witches hat first? I don't think I can take you seriously with it on." Snake replied, lowering his glass of Pinot Noir away from his face and readjusting his mask.**

"**Look who's talking." Samus shot back.**

"**Fine, what we're you going to ask?" Reaching into her pocket, Samus reached in between her 'assets' and pulled out a red velvet box.**

"**Will you ask me to marry you?" The woman asked, putting the case in her soon to be husbands lap.**

"**Samus you…you found the ring! But, but how!?" Snake stammered, swiping the box out of his lap in disbelief. Opening the case he stared in awe at the beautiful diamond ring inside.**

"**You dumb ass! You never put the lid back on the pumpkin when you hid it in there. I was worried the Jack O' Lantern might get thrown out with the ring still inside, so I took it out and hid it." Samus said, her eye's moist and a slight blush on her cheeks. **

**Snake removed the diamond ring from it's case and, getting down on one knee before his soon to be wife, gently slid the ring onto her ring finger.**

"**Sam, baby, will you marry me?" The mercenary choked out.**

"**Of course I will!" Samus exclaimed, smiling as a tear slid down her cheek. Wrapping her fiancé in a hug, she planted kiss after kiss on his yellow mask.**

"**Are you nervous?" Peach asked as they continued to dance amidst the other brawlers.**

"**A little, yeah. What if something goes wrong?" The princess asked from behind the clay veil, her voice shaky. Lifting the woman's mask up slightly the blonde planted a gentle kiss on her lovers lips. Peach usually never displayed her affection in public, and the Hylian was taken aback.**

"**You'll do great, I just know it!" Peach bubbled, hugging Zelda close to her in the middle of the dance floor.**

"**What's the time Soren?" Link asked his lover, the mask on his face muting his words.**

"**What'd you say?" The red eyed tactician asked.**

"**A said 'what is the time'!?" Link repeated, louder this time.**

"**Oh." The sage replied, glancing down at this watch." Eleven fifty seven."**

"**So then we should head to the middle of the ballroom soon, right?" The Hylian inquired. Feeling the butterflies in his stomach mounting.**

"**Yeah, go start rounding everyone up. Zelda's over dancing with Peach. Just as I thought, she's dressed as a Slasher." Soren stated. **

**The now six Slashers, including Zelda, that were in the room weren't attracting nearly as much attention as the group had thought they would. The other brawlers were talking about them, and casting wary glances, but thankfully they weren't panicking or freaking out. People were probably just assuming the six figures weren't **_**really **_**Halloween Slashers.**

**Soren watched from his place on the dance floor as all five of the 'pretend Slasher's' (Ike, Roy, Link, Marth, and Snake) made their way to the center of the dance floor. The red eyed sage stared down at his watch. **_**Midnight, right on the button**_**. Slowly but surely, Zelda departed from her lover and snaked her way through the crowd to the center as well. **_**Just like I'd planned**_**. Soren thought to himself, watching the mass of black clad shadows standing in the middle of the Ballroom.**

"_**We now bring you tonight's feature event!" **_**A raspy voice echoed from the speakers against the left wall of the ballroom. Almost as if on cue all of the lights on the dance floor went out except for one spotlight which was cast directly on the silhouettes in the center of the ballroom.**

**This was **_**not**_** part of Soren's plan.**

"_**We bring you a once in a lifetime event. He's come all the way here, just to put on a show, for all of you! You've all heard of him, it's the one and only- Halloween Slasher!!!" **_**The eerie voice growled out of the speakers. **

**Suddenly the spotlight went out and there was nothing but pitch black. Running, Soren tried to reach the center of the dance floor as fast as he could. Completely frantic, he bumped into a multitude of figures he couldn't see as he groped through the inky blackness. He could hear people shouting, screaming, and trying to calm others down. **_**Now **_**there was complete chaos.**

**After about thirty seconds or so, all of the lights turned back on in the Ballroom. There was no longer anybody standing in the center of the dance hall though. All that was there were six black jackets trimmed with caution tape, and six yellow masks with garish faces painted onto them.**

**Strolling down the mansion's hallways, Zelda breathed in the crisp fall air blowing in through the open windows. It was sad that once again Halloween had come and passed, but she rested easy in the knowledge that once again she had outdone herself. Just as she was about to turn the corner Soren emerged from behind one of the pillar's along the wall.**

"**You seem pleased." The black haired youth said, a coy smile on his lips.**

"**I love this time of year, there's nothing like it!" The woman beamed, unable to control her own smile.**

"**So how'd you make you and the other five disappear from the middle of the dance hall? And before you ask, I talked to them all, they've agreed to keep your little secret. As far as the rest of the mansion is concerned, the Halloween Slasher was just a phantom, who disappeared without a trace." The tactician questioned.**

"**Is that what they think? Well then I guess my work is done." The Hylian princess mumbled, staring at the red leaves accumulating on one of the windowsills. Some of them had spilled onto the hall's marble floor as well, and she crushed them beneath her heel. She loved the sharp crunch that fall leaves made.**

"**There's always next year Zelda." Soren replied. The remark seemed to have a profound effect on the blonde, who's eyes took on the spark of an excited child. "Now you've gotta tell me, how did you make them all disappear?"**

"**Sorry, a girls gotta have her secrets, right?" The princess hummed, leaning over and pecking the sage on the cheek.**

"**And thanks for getting them all to the center of the ballroom at midnight Soren. I wouldn't have been able to pull this thing off without you and Marth's help." The woman said, starting off down the hallway. Smiling Soren chuckled to himself and strolled down the hallway in the other direction.**

"**Happy Halloween Zelda!" He called, hoping the echo would reach her.**

**GoodNite everybody! And thanks for tuning in. **

**Hugs and kisses, The Halloween Slasher**

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**


End file.
